As God, our Lord Jesus was able to change bread and wine into his Body and Blood. This change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ continues to be carried out in the Church by Jesus Christ through the ministry of his priests. Christ gave his priests the power to change bread and wine into his Body and Blood. When he made the Apostles priests at the Last Supper. He said to them: "Do this in memory of me."
Priests excercise their power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ when they act in the person of Christ repeating,at the Consecration of the Mass, the words of Christ: "This is my Body...this is the cup of my Blood." Christ gives us his own Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist: first, to be offered as a sacrifice commemorating and renewing for all time the sacrifice of the cross; second, to be received by the faithful in Holy Communion; third, to remain on our altars as the proof of his love for us and to be worshipped by us.
The Eucharist refreshes us.
Just as it is necessary to nourish our bodies with material food, so also it is necessary to nourish our souls with spiritual food. Our Divine Savior gave his own body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine to be the food of our souls. To receive Holy Communion worthily it is necessary to be free from mortal sin, to have a right intention, and to observe the Eucharistic fast (1hour before Holy Communion). Venial sin does not make us unworthy to receive Holy Communion, but it does prevent us from receiving the more abundant graces and blessings which we would otherwise receive. If we are conscious that we have committed mortal sin, and if there is some special reason why we would be expected to receive Holy Communion e.g. a funeral, we may receive Holy Communion after making an act of perfect contrition with the intention of getting to the Sacrament of Penance as soon as possible.
Preparation for Communion
Before Holy Communion, we should think of our Beloved friend Jesus, whom we are about to receive into our hearts. We are encouraged to make acts of faith, hope, love.
Thanksgiving after Communion
After Communion it is good to spend some time adoring our Lord and thanking Him for His goodness to us. We can renew our promises of obedience and love and ask him for blessings for ourselves and others.Prayers from the heart please our Lord. Additional prayers for worship and praisecan be found in the missal.
Some effects of Holy Communion are:
- a closer union with our Lord and a more fervent love of God and of our neighbor;
- an increase of sanctifying grace, the new life of the soul;
- the remission of venial sin;
- the lessening of our inclination to sin and the help needed to practice good works.
Daily Communion
We ought to desire to receive Holy Communion as often as possible. This is the voice of the Church "Frequent and daily Communion, as a thing most ardently desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church, should be open to all the faithful." because this intimate union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is the greatest aid to a holy Life. Christ also said, that the one who feeds on Holy Eucharist will have life because of Him. (Jn. 6:55-58)
The Sacrifice of the Mass
We, the laity, are empowered through our Baptism, as Christ's priestly people, to be co-offerers of the Sacrifice of the Mass. We come to Church to do something. We come to Mass to join with Jesus our Great High Priest in offering to the Father his death on Calvary. The ministerial priest acts in union with Christ in offering this gift to the Father. The whole community of the Baptised share in the priesthood of Christ and join with Christ in his offering. The ministerial priest alone is empowered to bring about the change in the bread and wine. It is a primary work of Catholics to participate in the worship of God, especially through the sacrifice of the Mass.
him.
"O God, who under this Great Sacrament has left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we beseech you, the grace to venerate the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood and to feel within ourselves the fruit of your Redemption: Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen"
